Creamy Cashew Cardamom Butternut Squash Soup

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A few weeks ago I had the creamiest, dreamiest bowl of butternut squash soup. Sadly though it was full of creme fraiche and other things my body definitely does not agree with. So I sent myself on a mission to make an even better, even dreamier, even creamier DAIRY FREE version. And might I add… I nailed it.

My favorite part of this soup is that it’s only SIX ingredients. Yes, six. The hardest part of making the soup is waiting an hour for your squash to bake and your cashews to soften. Other than that it’s just pouring stuff into a blender and blending.

You might think that a soup made with only six ingredients can’t possibly have a complex flavor or taste seasoned enough. This is where you would be wrong. OH SO WRONG. The cashews add a thick, creamy texture (without needing dairy). The roasted squash gives it that classic fall/winter flavor that makes you want to curl up in bed and snuggle. The vegetable broth and Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil add a richness of flavor and a subtle depth that will honestly shock you. And finally the cardamom is both subtle and surprising. It’s unique enough to distinguish this soup from any other squash soup you’ve had, while also remaining familiar to your winter spice pallet.

Basically, I think you will love it. (Oh and did I mention the crispy olive oil croutons and pepitas on top?!?) Yeah, those are necessary.

Toppings:

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat a large pot or kettle of water over high heat until boiling.

Cut your butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle with a little Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on a baking sheet open face up, for 1 hour.

Add your raw cashews to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, drain and rinse your cashews and add them to a blender.

Scoop out the "meat" of the squash from the skin and add it to your blender as well.

Heat a small skillet with Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium heat. Add your ciabatta slices and toast each side until golden brown.

Pour your soup into a bowl and top with olive oil croutons and pepita seeds.

EAT UP.

Being sick as an adult is possibly the worst thing ever. Because life never stops. We don’t get to put work on hold and we don’t have our mom making us soup anymore. Getting better depends on our own ability to care for ourselves.

I am experiencing this exact struggle right now. I’m curled up with a bowl of this Creamy Cashew Cardamom Butternut Squash Soup, willing myself to get better. I’m exhausted and overwhelmed and really in need of a day in bed. But alas, I am a woman with a job and bills and a life. So I keep going.

However, I have come up with a pretty surefire way to attack sickness, so that it doesn’t get worse and usually only lasts a few days. It’s a ritual that I implement anytime I start to feel a tinge of sickness. If I wake up and my throat is sore, or I am achey, or somehow I just *know* that sickness is coming – this is my battle plan. This is how I have learned to be my own mom.

Since the seasons are changing and sickness is aplenty, I thought I’d share my tips for being your own mom and fighting sickness. I am willing to bet that it will cut your sick time in half, if not help you avoid an all out sick day all together. (No joke.)

Drink vitamin C + orange juice every morning. When I start to feel sickness coming on, this is my first line of defense. I buy a packet of powder vitamin C and mix it with orange juice because you basically can’t taste it. Boosting your vitamin C intake to the max will help boost your immune system and start to fight the nastiness creeping in.

Cut dairy and sugar out of your diet immediately. Dairy for me, always flares up my allergies and there is no need to weaken that line of defense if you are starting to feel sick. And sugar is just hardcore no good for your body, especially if it is trying to battle something. So take those two things out until you feel 100% and your body will thank you.

Get some echinacea tea. Echinacea is a great herbal remedy for sickness – it’s a pro at helping to boost your immune system. So I find that drinking a cup or two of this tea throughout the day, with just a dash of honey, helps me feel better.

Make yourself a dairy-free cozy soup. Soup is such a classic when you are sick. It’s hardy and filling and warm and everything your body needs and wants during this time. I obviously suggest making this butternut squash soup, but you do you. (But, really, you should make this soup.)

Drink a cup of turmeric milk. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and turmeric milk has been used for hundreds of years in India as a sickness remedy. Plus, it’s just a delicious cup of goodness that will make you feel warm and cozy. I generally like to end my day with a big cup of this before crawling into bed.

GO TO BED. As early as you can. Sleep as late as you can. Just sleep. This is how and when your body will use all of those goodies you’ve packed it full of. Just go to bed.

Take a shot of ginger. Buy it or make it at home with lemon, cayenne and honey. Just take a shooter of ginger. It’s super great at boosting your immune system and it will help you feel awake and alive. (It packs a serious punch.)

Zinc it up. I keep a bottle of zinc pills on hand for when I start to feel sick. I will take one a day to boost my my immune system function. It’s not a supplement to overdo it on, so usually I just take zinc when I *know* I’m getting sick and I only take it for a few days.

Be gentle with yourself. Go without makeup for a few days. Skip a few workouts. Order your groceries to be delivered. Do what you can to not push yourself beyond what you have to do. Go easy. Forgive yourself. Sickness happens. It will pass.

So there you have it, nine surefire steps to help you overcome sickness this winter. Hopefully this helps you become a better mother to yourself, and allows you to conquer any sickness that comes your way. I know that it definitely helps me.

The winter is hard and stressful and if you are like me you have 80 million deadlines and no time to do them. It can be a difficult time to be kind and gentle with yourself. But that is a necessary step to getting better. You must be kind. You must be gentle. You must take care of your body.

May your soup be cozy (and delicious) this winter and your body be healthy and happy. xo.

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Comments

These are all such good reminders in this uber busy and super stressful time of year. I keep going through a ‘im sick! im finally better! im sick again!’ cycle and it’s reallllly not healthy. I think I’m going to use the lonely butternut squash I have on the counter and make this soup to kick the cycle, once and for all!